The goal of Iowa's Groundwater Protection Act was to prevent further contamination of groundwater. Abandoned wells offer a direct pathway for contaminants to enter a groundwater aquifer. Some large diameter wells can also be a safety hazard to small children who can fall into well casings.

Any well that is no longer in use, or is in such poor physical condition that it cannot be repaired to be safely used, must be plugging. This applies to all wells, including public drinking water wells, monitoring wells, commercial wells, private wells and irrigation wells.

Abandoned wells can either be plugged, renovated, or repaired to standby condition. A well in standby condition has been repaired and capped to prevent contamination, but remains operational when the cap is removed. Each option meets the goal of protecting groundwater from contamination and people from physical harm.

Financial assistance is available at the county level through a grants to the counties programs sponsored by DNR. Counties will reimburse property owners up to $400 for each well plugged, up to $300 for cisterns and up to $600 for each well renovated.

Iowa's Onsite Wast-water Loan Program Clean Water Starts in Your Own Backyard.

A LOW-INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM TO UPDATE OUTDATED SEPTIC SYSTEMS

Where does a homeowner go for assistance? To participate in the loan program, a homeowner needs to:

1. Contact the county sanitarian or county environmental health agency for an OSWAP onsite system permit application.

3. Apply for a loan through a participating lender, showing evidence of county approval and contractor bids for the project.

4. USDA provided low income families who own single family homes that need repairs or improvements. Grants are available for essential repairs made to qualified applicants to include plumbing and sewer systems. More information on this program is available at 641-648-5181 or USDA Grants

WHY UPGRADE A SEPTIC SYSTEM

Some counties in Iowa and several lenders now require an inspection of a household septic system at the time of sale or property transfer to verify compliance with waste water treatment standards. Homeowners may want to take advantage of this loan program to avoid potential problems in the future.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?

The Onsite Waste water Assistance fund (OSWAF) is a revolving loan fund established from State of Iowa matching funds and federal EPA Clean Water Act funds.